Its mid 19th century pattern is a variant of "Tuscan," attributed to New York's Michael Gibney, or a similar design called "Cottage" produced by Joseph Seymour, John Polhamus, William Gale, and possibly other makers.

This example is only identified by the retailer's name, "J.W. Helmer," location unknown, stamped on the backside.

It has a particularly charming script engraving set sideways on the handle...

In her benchmark work on Philadelphia silversmiths, Catherine Hollan identifies "E. Borhek," the mark on this 5 11/16" long, .5 T. oz., as Edward, 1806-87. She notes that 1835-37, he was known as "Borhex."

In his later years he operated as an optician and spectacle maker, although as this spoon attests, silver was his stock in trade in earlier years...

A large piece measuring 9 1/8" long and weighing a substantial 1.8 T. oz., this spoon dates c. 1835.

It is stamped "Canfield," referencing one of three (later two) brothers, Ira, William and Jared, the majority of whose working years were spent as partners.

The Baltimore Museum of Art reference work, "Maryland Silver," assigns this particular mark to Ira, located in Haddam, Connecticut until c. 1834, and Baltimore after that, where the partnership was situated...

A "French Thread," aka "Fiddle Thread," design, it was made by New York City's Henry Hebbard, who with his contemporary and sometime partner John Polhamus, was one of Tiffany's major suppliers in the 1850s and 60s.

Marked with Gorham's "lion, anchor, G" emblem, along with "Sterling" and "Pat 1885," this 5 7/8" long, .9 T. oz., youth fork once belonged to "Gladys," whose name is engraved in script on the backside.

The pattern is "St. Cloud," one of the outstandingly successful designs produced by Antoine Heller in his long and consequential career with Gorham.

It is in very good condition. The dense leaf and shell motif remains well-defined, showing minimal polishing wear. The tines remain straigh...

Dating from 1880, Whiting's "Antique Tip" has a notched, pointed end, handle with a diamond-shaped drop flanked by two scrolls. In their entirety, the design elements resemble a fleur-de-lis.

This example is 9" long, approximately 1.8 T. oz., (probably berry) serving spoon. The plum-shaped bowl is elongated, relatively narrow, and has a lip edge. It is finished in a satin matte gold wash front and back sides.

A 6" long, .7 T. oz., this piece was likely an individual for ice cream spoon, although it could even have been a sugar.

Stamped "H & M" for the partnership of (Henry) Hebbard & (George) Moore, New York City, it dates 1861-65.

It is also stamped "Sterling," and while coin silver was still the dominant standard in this period, Hebbard retailed much of his output through Tiffany, which required sterling, so he likely produced with this in mind.

While unnamed, this c. 1870 design by George Sharp is quite similar to Gorham's "Louis XIV" and Knowles' "Emperor," both of the same period. It is double die struck, meaning the pattern appears on both sides of the piece.

This example is a 6 1/2" long, 1.2 T. oz. sauce ladle.

The handle is slender and elongated, and is joined to a 2" diameter, round shell bowl with a scalloped rim and a flat bottom. This is finished on both sides with a bright gold wash that extends to the lower of two...

Dating from 1866 as engraved on the sidewall below the name "C.E. Mathews.," this coin silver mustard pot was made by Gorham. That company's "standing lion, anchor, G" mark appears on the underside of the base, along with the model number "510."

It is a large, well-proportioned, and handsome item.

Standing 4 1/4" high, it rests on a pedestal base that is 2" in diameter. The maximum span to the end of the handle is approximately 3 1/4" and the weight is just above 4.5 T. oz.

Marked "Patent 1861," "Beaded" is one of Gorham's earliest line patterns. It was produced for a considerable period of time and made in both coin and sterling silver. This example is marked
"Coin," so dates no later than 1868, the year Gorham went to sterling.